Last Chance
by WildFlower084
Summary: [Sequel to Isle of Memories] The Big Five is being reunited. Will they finally be able to put a stop to Rumina's reign of terror? COMPLETE
1. Prologue

**A/N: Well here is the promised sequel to "Isle of Memories". Sorry it took a long time for me to post it but I was working on other stories (for other shows) at the same time. Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait and that you all will enjoy the prologue of this story.**

**A little thanks to **maevezanar **who has helped me with Maeve's "life" story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothin' as usual.**

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Maeve and Sinbad were laying on the beach, as they did every night since their return to the Isle of Dawn, Maeve's head on her husband's chest and his arm around her waist. They were both looking up at the stars, silently.

Several months had passed since Maeve's return and the couple now lived happily marriage. Everything was back as it should have been. Maeve had restored the Isle of Dawn with Cairpra and Dim-Dim's assistance and the old married couple had finally been reunited after so much time. Maeve had taken both Malika and Bryn under her wing and was now teaching them both magic. Sinbad, on his side, had taken a liking to Rowan and was now teaching him the arts of sword fighting, assisted by his brother. The scientist still continued his research while Rongar was often off hunting. Dermott, as always, flew around the island making sure no danger was coming their way. But things were quiet and the Isle of Dawn was too secluded to be attacked.

Every night, after tucking Malika in her bed, the young married couple would leave for a walk around the garden, going sometimes as far as the beach, and enjoy their little moment of privacy. They'd sit on the ground, look at the stars and imagine what their future was holding.

"I love this." Sinbad said, dreamily.

"What?" Maeve replied, tilting her head upwards to look at him.

"This. Just laying here with you."

Maeve agreed. She loved this too. Never in her life had she felt so peaceful. But since she had come back to her love, things had been nothing but peaceful. Somehow, she had the feeling this peacefulness wouldn't last very long.

"Dim-Dim once told me that the brightest star you see is your guardian. It looks down on you and guides you when you've lost all hope." Maeve said.

"Which one is the brightest one for you?" Sinbad asked.

Maeve examined each star but couldn't find one that seemed brighter than the other. Things were just going too well for her. She didn't need her guardian star. She voiced her thoughts.

She felt Sinbad pull her closer to him. She held him tighter. The feelings she felt at the moment were so strong, she felt like her heart was about to explode. She loved being so close to him yet it still scared her. She wanted to pull back from him but the love she felt for him made her stay put.

A lot of things had changed since she had come back but Maeve soon realized that no amount of love from her husband could erase her past and cure her of all the hurt she had suffered. Though she wasn't as scared as before to lose the ones she loved, there was still a small part of her that still did.

A moment of silence followed, both lost in their respective thoughts. Maeve was the first one to break it.

"Dermott is my brother."

"What?" Sinbad replied, too surprised to answer anything else.

This sudden confession took him off guard. Where had _that_ came from?

"Dermott. He's my brother. When I was a young girl, I lived on a pig farm. My family was poor and my dad wanted to trade me for pigs."

"What?"

"You know, like an arranged marriage or something. Anyway, Dermott heard my dad talking and he told me to run away. So I did and he came with me since I was afraid my dad would hurt my brother if he found out that Dermott had told me. We were half way to the port when we saw a red light coming from our village. We went back to find a little girl named Rumina practicing black magic on the villagers and capturing men."

Maeve paused.

"I just _had_ to do something about it so I told Dermott to hide in the bushes. I really thought I could take her on even though I didn't know any magic but, obviously, I failed. She was going to cast a spell on me to punish me for trying to stop her but Dermott jumped in front of me and took the spell instead. That was when he was turned into a hawk.

That's why I went to Dim-Dim. I had heard that a great sorcerer lived near our village. I took Dermott and left my home in search of him. When I found him, I told him my story and he agreed to help me. Since then, I've been learning magic to destroy her."

"Maeve..."

"It's not all."

The peacefulness was now gone and the old feelings were rushing back to her.

"Rumina has a gift for it. Ever since that episode in my village, she loves hurting the people I love the most. She won't be shy to hurt you too. You have to promise me you will be extra careful from now on."

"I'm always careful."

He was far from being modest. It irritated her.

"Sinbad!"

Maeve sat up and looked down at her husband, a seriousness in her eyes that Sinbad had never seen before. He suddenly realized that she wasn't joking. He swallowed.

"Sinbad, this isn't a joke. It's real. Promise me you will be more than careful from now on."

Sinbad sat up as well.

"I promise." He said as he leaned in to kiss her.

Maeve turned her head, avoiding the kiss.

"But I don't see what we have to worry about. We've been here for five months and nothing has happened yet."

Maeve looked away and stared at the sea in front of her. A couple of miles away, she could see The Nomad floating merely in the waves, waiting patiently for its crew to return.

"I'm setting sail tomorrow."

Her voice sounded determined and Sinbad wondered how long ago she had made up her mind.

"Where are you going?" he asked, suddenly worried.

Had he done something to upset her? Was that why she was living?

_Stop being ridiculous._ He told himself.

"I'm going to find Rumina. Dim-Dim, Bryn and Malika are coming with me."

Sinbad stared wide-eyed at her. It took him a few seconds before he regained the ability to talk.

"Maeve, you promised you weren't going to leave me again. If you go now, Rumina will kill you."

Maeve shook her head.

"Not if I bring my two sisters and my teacher with me. We can defeat her."

"You're not going, Maeve."

His tone was authoritary. It annoyed her. She didn't like being told what to do. She snapped.

"And who are you stop me?"

"I'm your husband and your friend. As these people, I'm commanding you to stay here."

Maeve got up, furious.

"Maeve..." Sinbad said, as he got up himself and quickly grabbed her arm before she stomped off. "I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. I'd die if something bad happened to you."

He loosened his grip on her arm when he noticed she wasn't trying to pull away.

"I know you love me Sinbad and I do too. But if you and I want to be together for ever, I _have_ to kill Rumina. It's the only way she'll leave us alone. Besides, I promised Dermott long ago that I'd change him back. I haven't been doing much about it for a while now and it's time I fulfill my promise. I'm sorry, Sinbad. But that's the way it has to be."

Sinbad took a deep breath.

"Let me come with you then."

"Sinbad, that's crazy!"

"No, it's not. Let us all come with you. We're a family now, we all stick together. We'll take the Nomad and go wherever you and Dim-Dim wish to go."

Maeve began to reply but Sinbad shushed her.

"I won't take no for an answer."

Maeve rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I hate it when you do this."

"Do what?" Sinbad asked, innocently.

"You know what. I hate how you always find a way to make me say yes to you."

Sinbad chucked before encircling her waist with his arms.

"That, my dear, comes with practice."

He leaned in and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

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**I'd just like to remind readers that I do accept anonymous reviews, meaning that you don't even have to have an account on this site or be logged on if you have one to review.**


	2. Of Sea Sickness and Then Not

**A/N: This chapter is a continuation of the prologue, therefore is a bit short.**

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Maeve was bent over the railing, throwing up for what seemed to her like the thousandth time that day. Sinbad watched her carefully, worried. She had never been sea sick before and he couldn't understand why she would be so now. Nevertheless, as she busied herself by regurgitating whatever her meal had been, the captain stayed by his wife's side, holding her long curly hair and rubbing her back. At times, he felt the urge to throw up himself but forced his meal to stay where it was.

"Maeve, I didn't know you could be sea sick." Sinbad told her, a hint of worry in his voice.

Maeve lifted her head, wiped her mouth with her sleeve and and looked at her husband.

"Me neither." She answered, panting.

"Do you think Rumina is making you sick?"

Maeve shook her head.

"No. This is all my body. It's not black magic. Besides, Rumina doesn't know about our plans."

"Maybe we should stop by the next port and get you to a physician. He could take a look at you."

"No, it's okay."

Seeing the look on his face, she quickly added:

"Really, Sinbad. I'm fine. I think I'm just gonna go down to our cabin and rest for a while."

"Okay." The captain replied, kissing her on her forehead. "Get some rest. You need it."

Maeve smiled and went down to her cabin. Sinbad went back to the tiller and took hold of it. He was lost in his thoughts when Bryn approached him.

"Is Maeve alright?" she asked him.

He could tell she was as concerned about their friend as he was.

"I've never seen someone so sick before." Bryn added.

"I know. She's never been sea sick before either."

"Maybe it's not sea sickness." A voice said from behind Bryn.

Sinbad looked past the young sorceress to see Dim-Dim standing before them. Bryn turned around herself and smiled at the old man.

"What do you mean, Master Dim-Dim?" Bryn asked him.

"I am no doctor, my dears, but I don't think this has anything to do with sea sickness."

"Then what could it be?" Sinbad asked.

He really couldn't think of anything else that could cause Maeve to be this sick.

"As I said, Sinbad. I am no doctor. Maybe you could get Firouz to take a look at her."

Sinbad frowned. He hadn't expected that advice from the old man.

"You mean this could be explained scientifically?"

"Not everything in this world is magic, my boy. Maeve might be a fine sorceress but she can still catch illnesses. Magic doesn't yet cure anything, unfortunately. Thus, we still need to rely on science every once in a while."

Dim-Dim winked at Sinbad before turning his attention back to Bryn.

"Come, child." He told her. "It is time for your training."

Dim-Dim turned around and walked away, Bryn following behind.

* * *

Just like Dim-Dim had suggested, Sinbad had gone down below deck hoping to catch Firouz. The scientist immediately agreed to examine Maeve, which he had done as soon as Sinbad had left his cabin. Unfortunately, he had found nothing.

Weeks passed by and soon turned into months. Sinbad had no idea where Dim-Dim and Maeve were taking him but he still followed their orders. They stopped in several ports, making small deliveries every now and then and never in their voyage did they encounter any strange phenomenons. Everything seemed to be in order and Sinbad couldn't be happier.

But according to Maeve, things were too calm and it worried her. Day after day, she and her apprentices would gather around on the deck and practice their magic. Night after night, Maeve would sit on the deck and watch her surroundings, eyes and ears alert, her cloak wrapped tightly around her. Sinbad knew something was bothering her but he respected her wish of silence. If she wanted to talk about it, she'd come to him. He knew it.

After three months of travelling, Maeve ordered a change of course.

"We need to set sail for the City of Mist."

"Why do we need to go there?" Sinbad asked as he turned the tiller.

"We need to get Serendib."

"Serendib? Why her?"

"Because we will need her." Maeve replied as if stating the obvious. "Our sources told us that Rumina is about to strike. We need to gather up as much as sorcerers together as possible."

"Who have you got so far?"

"Dim-Dim, Bryn, Malika and I. But it's not enough. We need Serendib with us."

The vague explaination seemed to satistify the captain.

"Aye aye. We're setting sail for the City of Mist."

Maeve smiled at him and was about to go back to her master when Sinbad called her back.

"Maeve!"

"Yes, Captain?" she asked, smirking.

"I can see your sea sickness is gone."

The smirk turned into a grin.

"It wasn't sea sickness."

Sinbad frowned.

"What was it then?"

"You'll see." Maeve replied before kissing him quickly on the cheek and going back to Dim-Dim who was sitting at the other end of the ship, talking to Bryn.

Sinbad watched her walk away, slightly confused. Something had changed in her but he couldn't quite put a finger n it. Her body had changed somehow. It almost seemed larger. Her face was also a bit rounder and she had a glow that hadn't been there before. Now it was there all the time.

He looked up at the sky and saw there was no cloud in sight. It looked like smooth sailing ahead.

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**Because of the shortness of this chapter, I'm also posting Chapter 2 today. But that doesn't mean nobody has to review this one! ;-)**


	3. The Big Five

**A/N: Here is the promised chapter. This one is much more longer.**

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A few had passed after the change of course when Doubar announced that the City of Mist was in sight. Firouz, who had been told they were going to get Serendib, had been paying a close attention to his looks, especially on the morning when the longboats were thrown in the water.

It took them a little over an hour before reaching the shore. As Sinbad looked around while her crew members dragged the longboats to shore, the captain realized that maybe City of Mist wasn't such a great name for the village was laying in front of him. The mist had obviously dissipated and Serendib seemed to have done a really good job at restoring her hometown.

They walked the streets of the new village for a while before they finally found the now grown-up teenager sitting on the stairs of a store. Maeve immediately cried her name.

"Serendib!"

The young woman looked up and watched the crew walking towards. It took her a few seconds to recognize who they were. She immediately jumped to her feet and ran towards the captain.

"Sinbad!" she replied even if he hadn't the one calling out her name.

The 18-year-old sorceress collided into the captain and the two of them hugged, under the jealous stare of the captain's wife. Opening her eyes, Serendib caught a quick glance of the scientist and immediately pulled away from Sinbad. She walked up to her old friend. They stood facing each other, silently.

Maeve moved closer to Sinband and whispered in his ear:

"They look like teenagers reuniting after a long time apart."

Sinbad smiled.

"They look like teenagers in love." He corrected.

Then, clearing his voice, he added a little louder:

"I hate to break up your reunion but Maeve has something to tell you, Serendib."

The young sorceress turned to the older one.

"What is it, Maeve?" she asked, expectantly.

"We are going to defeat Rumina once and for all and we need your help."

Serendib frowned, as if wondering why they needed her. Maeve sensed her confusion and quickly added:

"So far, we are only four sorcerers. We're missing one."

Serendib's features lit up. She understood.

"You mean like the Big Five?" she asked.

A voice behind her startled her.

"Yes." Dim-Dim replied. "I see you have been trained well, my dear. May I ask who your master is?"

Serendib turned to the old man.

"His name is Laurie. He's the town's new sorcerer. He's been training me for a year."

Dim-Dim nodded.

"It seems like he has done a good job. Not many sorcerers know about the powers of the Big Five. Maybe it would be wise to tell him that you are leaving. We'll wait for you."

Serendib agreed.

"It won't be too long, I promise. Laurie lives close to here. It should only take a few minutes."

"Take your time, child. We are not in a hurry."

"Uh... I'll go with you, Serendib." Firouz said as he followed the young woman.

Behind him, he heard his crew laughing.

* * *

As they waited for the young woman to return from her master's house, Maeve and Sinbad decided to take a small walk around the village.

"Tell me about the Big Five." Sinbad said as they turned a corner, disappearing from their crew's sight.

"In order to defeat a powerful sorceress like Rumina, we need to gather up some sorcerers. She has extraordinary powers, Sinbad, as much as I hate to admit and her powers don't equal our own. It is believed that one powerful black magic sorcerer equals five white magic sorcerers."

"So what you're saying is that black magic is five times more powerful than white magic?"

"Exactly."

"But you said that you already have four people. I can one count how many sorcerers they have? I mean, if there is a weak sorcerer in the group, does that person still count as one?"

Maeve shook her head.

"It goes with the power of the person. For example, Dim-Dim is equal one person and a half. He is a very powerful sorcerer and could be equal to two but because of his age, his force might not be as great as it used to be. Malika is his other half. Her powers are equal to one person's but because of her age and size, a half is knocked off. I'm equal to one and so is Bryn."

Sinbad was getting more confused by the second.

"So that makes four?"

"Yes." Maeve replied. "And with Serendib, we are now five."

"But don't you need more than five sorcerers to defeat Rumina?"

"Technically speaking, yes. Six would bring up our chances to defeat her for good but five is good enough. You see, Sinbad, the Big Five is chosen very carefully. The five members need to be linked in some way. They have to be linked together and to be linked with the sorcerer they are trying to defeat."

Sinbad tilted his head, even more confused. Maeve seemed to have read his mind and answered his question before he even had a chance to voice it.

"Malika and I are linked because of our power to communicate with one another. Mali is connected to Rumina because Rumina killed her mother."

"Oh." Sinbad replied. "I didn't know."

Sinbad immediately felt sympathy towards his little protegee.

_Poor little thing_. He thought.

"It's okay, Sinbad. Don't feel bad. Not a lot of people know."

She paused for a brief moment.

"I am linked to Dim-Dim because he is my Master and because we have fought Rumina together. And he is linked that witch because he was cursed by her father. As for Serendib, we both fought against Rumina three years ago."

"But how about Bryn?"

"Bryn had to be trained to be linked to us. She had to swear loyalty to us in ways I cannot tell. She is bound to us from now on."

Seeing the shocked expression on her husband's face, she immediately added:

"Don't worry, Dear. She chose deliberately. Nobody forced her to do anything."

"I surely hope not." Sinbad replied, a hint of anger in his voice.

Maeve squeezed his arm. He seemed to relax.

"Does this mean I will be of no help?" he asked.

"Of course not. We'll still need the crew. Do you really think Rumina won't send stupid beasts and demons our way?"

Sinbad didn't bother answering. He knew she was right.

"Maeve, I want you to be careful. I don't want to lose you again."

Maeve stopped walking. Sinbad did the same.

"You're not going to lose this time. I'm stronger than I was before. There's no way Rumina is going to kill me."

Sinbad's fist clenched.

"Damn right you won't die because I'm not letting that witch kill you."

Maeve giggled.

"You really love me, don't you?" she asked, her usual teasing smirk on her face.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't. Do you love me? I don't hear you say it often. Sometimes, I even wonder."

Maeve looked shocked and Sinbad almost regretted his words.

"You wonder about what?"

_Uh oh_. He thought.

"I wonder if you really love me."

Eyes grew wide.

"Of course I do, Sinbad. It's not because I don't say anything that I don't. Sinbad, do you really think it's easy for me to live with you, sleep with you, spend all of my time with you and never being able to tell you how I feel about you because the minute that I do, Rumina is going to use this against me? I long to say it, I've long to say it for a while now but I just can't. Not yet. Rumina is only waiting for me to say these three little words before she attacks and probably kills you. People I love, Sinbad, disappear or get hurt. I don't want it to happen to you too."

She paused.

"Sinbad, if you really do love me, you won't pressure me into telling you until Rumina dies."

Sinbad couldn't see the link between Rumina and her feelings but he nodded anyway. Whatever his sorceress wanted, she was getting.

"But Maeve, what if she doesn't die the next time you see her?"

"She _will_."

Sinbad smiled.

"You sound so confident."

Maeve shrugged.

"I am. I'm not doing this only for my brother's fate. I have another life to save."

Realizing she had said too much, she quickly grabbed his arm and began to walk back to the store.

"Come on, the crew is probably waiting for us."

* * *

Maeve walked up on the deck, alone. She didn't know the time but she knew the sun had set hours ago. But she needed to think. The fact that they were going to face Rumina once and for all had finally caught up with her and now, she was starting to doubt herself.

She knew exactly where Rumina was. They were about two days of sailing away. The more the sea pushed them towards Rumina's new lair, the more she grew anxious. A protective hand flew to her stomach. She hadn't told Sinbad yet. She was starting to show but she didn't want to get his hopes up. She didn't want him to have to get over two human beings if she were to die in her final battle. She also knew he would worry if he found out now and probably wouldn't let her fight her enemy. She couldn't have that either.

The night was warm for the time of the year. Maeve sat on the side of the ship and looked up at the sky. She was surprised when her eyes were instinctively drawn to her brightest star. That twinkle seemed to confirm her beliefs. She was scared.

She felt rather stupid as she opened her mouth to speak but she needed a comfort that neither her husband nor her friends could bring her.

"Star, I don't know who you once were but please help me defeat Rumina once and for all. Please protect Sinbad and the life that is growing inside of me."

Yes, this was definetely stupid. She looked around once more to make sure she was alone. The man at the tiller on the other end of the ship was too far to hear anything. She turned her attention back to the star.

"It's going to be our first child, the proof that I do feel the same way he does. But before I have this child, I need to defeat Rumina. I'm sure my brother would love to hold his niece or nephew. I need you, Star. I need you to look after us, to help us and guide us. If you do, I will be forever grateful."

Maeve sighed, got up and went back down to her cabin. Sinbad was sound asleep when she crept slowly in bed and laid down beside him. She then turned her back on him and finally fell asleep.

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**TBC of course**


	4. Rumina's Lair

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Well, this is it." Maeve said as she set eyes on Rumina's new home.

She wasn't surprised to see that it was situated in the middle of nowhere, on a medium-size island. A dark cloud surrounded the entire island.

"This island is pure evil." Dim-Dim had said a few hours later when they had first spotted the island through Firouz's magnoscope.

A loud thump had then reached their ears. They had turned around to find an unconscious Malika on the deck. The evil had gotten to her.

"What's the plan?" Doubar asked.

Dim-Dim now stood in front of the tiller, Maeve and Malika at his side. The three of them looked really serious, sending a vibe of fear throughout the crew.

"My sources told me that Rumina has built an army of different demons and beasts. You name them, she's got them." Dim-Dim started, his voice deep and serious.

He spoke slowly.

"We will have to defeat _all_ of them before we can even get to Rumina. That is where we will need your help."

Maeve spoke next.

"Firouz, we will need a couple of your explodings sticks. Sinbad, Doubar, Rongar, we will need you to start on guard until it is time to launch the longboats. We leave at the end of the day, just a few hours before sunset. That is when Rumina is expect us the least."

"Get ready, everybody!" Dim-Dim then added. "And if any of you are worried, then let these words ease your feelings. The Big Five is ready to attack. We have grown stronger over the last couple of months and have forged a bond that no black magic will ever be able to break. We are more than ready to do this."

He paused, before turning his attention to his beloved sorceresses.

"I need the four of you to go below deck and get ready. I need you to go over our plan then come back up to practice everything I have taught you. Do not, I repeat, do _not_ tire yourself out for nothing. If you feel tired, I want you to stop. We have learned relayed fighting during the past months. I want you to remember it."

He stopped once again and looked confidentely at the crew in front of him.

"Everybody, get ready! I will perform a spell that will make us invisible to Rumina's oracle."

On these last words, the crew scattered across the ship.

* * *

The ship buzzed with activity. Explosions and weird noises could be heard from Bryn's cabin where Maeve and her younger sorceress had locked themselves after the meeting despite the orders from their master, Serendib and Malika practiced various spells and attacks modes on deck while Sinbad stood nervousely at the tiller, worried sick about his wife down in her friend's cabin. 

A bad feeling had crept up on him, a feeling that no amount of reassurance from his brother, his mentor or his wife could appease. As much as he believed in Maeve and her powers, he wasn't sure she would be able to defeat Rumina. He had seen her on numerous occassions and Rumina was just so powerful. He wasn't ready to see Maeve die once more. He wanted to keep her. He wanted her to finally tell him that she loved him. He wanted to hold her really tight tonight and never let her go. The nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach reminded him that he might not be able to do all of those things.

It was nearing dusk when Dim-Dim showed up on deck after having locked himself in his cabin for the past hours. His expression was serious but Sinbad was pretty sure he could detect a hint of worry in his eyes. But when the captain made eye contact with the old man, the worry vanished from his eyes. Sinbad wondered if he hadn't simply imagined it.

The longboats were launched and everybody settled in them. As they rowed towards the beach, everybody was quiet, lost in their own thoughts.

The second Maeve set foot on the warm sand, Sinbad stopped her. She turned around to find his eyes staring right back at her. She saw that he was worried and she tried to stop herself from worrying also.

"Maeve. Be careful."

Images from a few years back flashed before her eyes.

"Aye aye Captain." She said.

As she leaned in to kiss him, she glanced quickly sideways to make sure Firouz wasn't anywhere nearby to interrupt them. They kissed passionately for what seemed like an eternity before pulling away reluctantly when Dim-Dim urged them to start walking.

"Children, we do not have time for this." He simply told the couple.

Hand in hand, Sinbad and Maeve opened the march.

* * *

Tiny waves appeared in the water and Rumina waved her hand over her oracle. 

"How sweet of them." She said, chuckling sarcastically as she watched the couple share a moment of anxiety and love. "Just like the last time they paid me a visit."

Waving her hand over the oracle once again, she then walked away to her window. Her army stood, lifeless, at the bottom of the cliff.

"ATTACK!" She ordered them.

The demons began moving.

* * *

"Sinbad, what was that?" Bryn immediately asked as she heard something cry ahead of them. 

Sinbad looked around but saw nothing.

"There! In the sky!" Firouz replied.

Sinbad looked up.

"Flying demons! Our swords won't do anything." Sinbad spoke, from experience. "Girls, get ready to use your magic."

Dropping their swords, the women gathered together at the front of the group. In an instant, thousands of demons appeared out of nowhere. Maeve threw the first fireball, hitting the demon straight in the face.

"Sinbad, we won't be able to handle them on our own!" Maeve screamed over the shrieks of the demons. "You will have to at least fight them off while we kill them."

Sinbad nodded.

"Crew, you heard my wife. Swords out!"

The battle lasted a good twenty minutes. When finally all the winged demons had been slain, the four girls fell exhausted to the ground, Maeve and Bryn on the verge of passing out. Dim-Dim knelt down before Maeve and held a cup to her life. Maeve drank the liquid quickly.

"Save your strength, child." Dim-Dim told her as she drank. "You will need it in order to defeat Rumina. Remember, you are the only one who can kill her."

Maeve swallowed the disgusting liquid, grimacing. As much as she despised the potions, she knew it would give her the energy that she needed to go on.

"I know, Master Dim-Dim. I know. But I can't just leave you and join up with you later."

Dim-Dim shook his head.

"That is not waht I was saying. Don't force yourself. Don't take on all of those demons by yourself. I saw you up there. That is exactly what you were trying to do. Don't. Remember that you have three other sisters who are giving you a hand."

Malika, Serendib and Bryn turned to her.

"I'm always there for you Maeve." Bryn said.

"Me too." Malika immediately added.

"I know my powers are limited outside the City of Mist but I am there too for you." Serendib joined in.

Maeve smiled at the three girls sitting in front of her.

"Thanks you guys." She said.

"Is everything all right?" Sinbad asked as he walked up behind them.

Maeve looked up at her husband.

"Yes. I just felt a bit tired. That's all." Maeve answered.

Dim-Dim and Sinbad immediately helped her up and they went on their way. They still had a lot of travelling to do.

* * *

Dermott was flying ahead as usual and, every now and then, came back to Maeve to warn them of the danger ahead. They soon found themselves fighting skeletons, more winged demons but it was once they had arrived at the entrance of Rumina's new rocky lair that their real trouble really started. 

A dozen hooded men approached them, black capes flowing behind them.

"What are those?" Doubar asked.

"Soul eaters," Serendib replied, frightened. "Whatever you do, do _not_ let them grab you. They will suck out your souls."

"How do we destroy them?" Sinbad asked.

"Magic will have to take care of them." Dim-Dim replied. "Girls, are you ready?"

The girls shook their heads no.

"But this will take most of our energy. We won't be able to fight Rumina after we fought these things." Maeve said in a panicked voice. "There has to be a way around them?"

The men were still gliding towards them. The crew backed up in response.

"Don't worry, Maeve," Dim-Dim replied. "This will take some team work. Malika and Serendib, hold hands. That way, your powers will be stronger. I would advise Maeve and Bryn to do the same thing. I can take them alone."

The soul eaters were still approaching. The crew backed away. Bryn and Maeve took each other's hand.

"When I say go, we go!" Dim-Dim said. "GO!"

In a split second, different colors of rays were coming out of the sorcerers' hands. Orange, light blue, yellow, red, and purple mixed together to push the soul eaters away from them. They fought each one individually until all of them vanished into thin air.

The rest of the crew stoob back and watched in amazement. Sinbad seemed to be the only one worried. If Maeve tired herself out, she might not be able to take on Rumina.

Minutes passed and Sinbad grew more and more worried. Maeve was obviously tired.

"- Maeve!" Dim-Dim cried. "Go join the rest of the crew. You're tiring yourself out for nothing. I will handle it with Bryn."

Maeve let go of Bryn's hand and ran as fast as possible back to the crew. Sinbad put his arms around her and together they watched the rest of the battle.

"This is weird. It's the first time I'm watching other people do magic." Maeve said, panting. "And I don't like it."

"- You need to rest, Maeve. You still Rumina to defeat."

"I know Sinbad, I know. But I think I know why I get tired so easily."

"And why's that?" Sinbad asked.

Maeve didn't have time to answer. The last soul eater had been slained and the sorcerers were waving them to get going. The crew got up and followed them into Rumina's domain.

Inside, everything seemed calm. Too calm.

"I don't like the look of this." Maeve said as she looked around.

All of a sudden, the hole they had came in through closed up. A huge boulder now blocked the entrance.

"Oh no, she knows we're here," Serendib said.

"Everybody, stay close." Maeve said. "And keep your voices down. Let's go."

They walked slowly and silently through the cave. Their footsteps echoed on the rock wall and every movement startled them. Nervousness was in the air.

"Maeve, where exactly are we going?" Firouz asked.

"I'm not quite sure. Dermott told me that we need to get through this mountain and get out on the other side. Then, we will see a huge tower and it's supposedely where Rumina is living."

"What do you mean Dermott told you?" Firouz asked.

"I told you before, Firouz. Dermott and I sometimes share thoughts and feelings."

"Oh, I see. And how did Dermott say we would get out of here?"

"He didn't. We will have to figure this out on our own."

"If you want my opinion, Maeve, I don't think we will be getting out of this cave alive," Sinbad said.

"What makes you say that?"

The group stopped.

"Just look around."

Maeve soon realized what Sinbad meant. They were not alone. Hundreds of guards were now circling them.

"This may cause a little problem," Sinbad said.

"Ya think!" Maeve said, sarcastically.

"Swords out!" Sinbad ordered.

The guards were approaching, menacing. There were so many, they would never be able to fight them all off. Maeve turned to his eyes and what she saw absolutely broke her heart. It was fear and for one split second, she shared his feeling too. Sinbad was right. They weren't going to get out of that cave alone, at least, not the sailors.

"We are not going to die," she whispered to herself. "If somebody dies today, it's me, not anyody ELSE!"

Maeve immediately took out her sword and inside a split second, the fight was on. Swords hit each other, spells were casted, cries were heard. More and more guards suddenly appeared. The fight went on and on. Minutes ticked away. Rumina was watching from her oracle, a triumphant smile on her face. They were going to lose.

Then it happened. Maeve felt a blow on his back and immediately fell to the ground. Sinbad ran to her.

"Maeve," he said to his wife. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright," she said.

Her voice was weak. The guard had hit her hard. He was going to touch her face when suddenly he was grabbed from behind.

"SINBAD!" cried Bryn.

Everybody had been taken hostage. Maeve, laying unconscious on the ground, never heard a thing.


	5. After the Attack

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to update this but here is a nice long action-packed chapter to make it up to you. Don't forget to review. I love hearing from you!**

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

It took Maeve a minute or two to figure out where she was after opening her eyes. She looked around, desperately trying to make sense of what she was seeing but her foggy brain refused to work. She tried to move but felt a searing pain shoot through her back. She cried out.

She heard a noise somewhere near her. She froze. Someone was walking towards her. Staying alert, she listened to the sound of the footsteps. She couldn't recognize them.

"Who there's?" She asked.

A small voice answered her.

"Maeve?"

_Malika_. Maeve thought as she opened her eyes.

Frightened Malika.

Maeve forced herself to sit up.

"Malika, are you alright?" Maeve asked.

The little girl nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Maeve's heart broke at the sight.

"Come here." She told the little girl, extending her hand.

Malika sat down on Maeve's knees. The older sorceress wrapped her arms around the young one's small body and rocked her back and forth. But Malika didn't cry.

Maeve looked around, trying to remember what had happened. The back of her head hurt badly. She had been hit and had probably passed out from the pain. But where were the others?

"What happened?" Maeve asked. "Where is everyone?"

"Gone. The guards took them and they took off."

"How come they didn't take you?"

"I got scared and went to hide behind some rocks. They didn't see me."

Maeve nodded. Suddenly, a twinge of anxiety hit her.

"How's Sinbad?"

"He was hurt. He tried to fight the guards when they grabbed him from behind. One of the guards hit him behind the head and Sinbad fell on the ground. They kicked him a couple of times in the stomach then they picked him up and they left."

Maeve was too shocked to say anything. The thought of Sinbad getting hurt was unbereable for her. A feeling of vengence soon consumed her. Rumina wouldn't get away with it this time.

"It's the last time Rumina is hurting my husband. Come on Mal, we have to go free the crew."

The two sorceresses got up. The throbbing pain in Maeve's lower back was unbearable but it was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling in her heart. She just felt like it had been ripped out of her chest. Her friends were hurt, somewhere on this island and Maeve had no idea where they were. She thought of Dermott. Was her brother save? Had he been captured?

"Malika, where's Dermott?"

"Last time I talked to him, he was safe."

"Thank you for keeping an eye on him." Maeve said as she pulled the child into a small hug.

"No problem."

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

The cave was bigger than Maeve had thought. They had been walking for hours when they finally caught a ray of sunlight coming from an opening above their heads. Maeve smiled. Rumina might have guarded the entrance to the cave pretty well but she had neglected the exit. The duo climbed the set of rocks leading to the exit and soon stepped out in the setting sun. Maeve looked ahead.

A huge mountain raised before them. At the top, Maeve could distinguished the form of a castle. Probably Rumina's hideout.

Maeve stopped when she realized Malika wasn't following her anymore. She turned around to see the child standing a few feet behind her, her eyes staring into space. A second later, she shook her head and violently came back to herself.

"Maeve." Malika whispered.

Maeve walked back to the child.

"The sources told me that Rumina isn't expecting us alive. She's too busy with the other members of the crew. If we can get there fast, we could surprise her."

"Good idea. Let's go!"

The two of them resumed their walk, picking up their pace as they stepped into the vast forest seperating the two mountains.

The forest was dark and was populated by beasts, animals and birds that made weird noises as Maeve and Malika made their way between the trees. Magic proved efficient for scaring off the animals.

"Let's just hope Rumina didn't hear that." Maeve whispered to Malika as a wolf collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.

The sun had almost disappeared and Maeve could see the first few stars beginning to shine. They needed to hurry. They were running out of time. They had until midnight to defeat Rumina, Dim-Dim had told them. Maeve wasn't quite sure as to why they had limited time to defeat her but she knew better than to question her master's decisions.

"Malika, can you run?"

The child gave her a weird look.

" 'Course I can."

"Good because we need to run for a while. We don't have much time left."

Malika nodded before running off behind Maeve. Branches and leaves cracked under their heavy footsteps as they ran through the darkened forest. But Malika was getting tired and she soon had to stop. The mountain was growing bigger and bigger and Maeve could begin to make out the top over the trees. A feeling of excitment swept through her. They were almost there.

The two sorceresses stopped running and Maeve motioned to the child to sit on the tree stump to rest.

"Just a litte bit more and we're there." Maeve told the child as she tried to catch her breath. "We'll need to free up the other members of the Big Five before we fight off Rumina. Lord knows how long it's going to take us, especially if she's used some spell on the chains."

Malika nodded. Maeve waited a few more minutes.

"Are you ready?"

Malika got up and followed Maeve through the rest of the forest. After a couple more minutes of walking, the sorceress emerged from the forest to find themselves at the foot of the mountain. Maeve turned to Malika and smiled. They had made it.

"Mal, I just need to talk to Dermott for a couple of minutes. You sit tight and don't move. It shouldn't take long."

Malika did as she was told. Maeve then sat down herself, closed her eyes and focused all of her thoughts on her brother. Seconds later, the contact was being made. She opened her eyes and stared straight ahead.

Her trance had taken her into Dermott's body. Through his eyes, she could see that the crew was locked up in a cell, tied up with enchanted chains. She had foreseen well. Rumina had used some of her spells to hold the crew captive. She noticed that her friends all looked tired and hurt. Some were covered in purplelish bruises. Only one person was missing: Sinbad. She felt her anger begin to rise once more.

_Look for him._ Maeve told her brother. _Search the entire place. Come back when you found him._

_No problem, Sister._ Dermott replied before flying off.

Maeve snapped out of her trance.

She immediately stood up and pulled Malika to her feet.

"We have to hurry. Sinbad is missing and the others look awfully hurt."

"Where are they?" Malika asked, suddenly scared.

"They're in the northeast cells. The bars to the window are not cursed. We'll be able to get in by there. Come on. Let's go find these dungeons."

Malika and Maeve went on their way. They searched for a way to the dungeons but without Firouz's compass, it was hard to figure out which way was northeast. Several times, Maeve tried communicating with Dermott but his brother remained unavailable. Maeve wondered why her brother had tuned himself out.

They had been looking for nearly forty-five minutes when Malika pointed to a tree.

"Maeve! There! Look!" The child said, excited.

Maeve turned in a tree's direction and immediately noticed something weird about it. The tree stood awfully close to the mountain, as if it was planted there for a reason. Maeve walked up to it and crouched down. Moving uncut grass, Maeve discovered a window. She peered through it.

"Maeve!" She heard someone say from the far end of the dungeon.

Maeve immediately recognized the voice. It was Serendib's.

Maeve stood back up and backed away from the window. Five seconds later, the bars blocking entry had vanished. Maeve slipped in first, immediately followe by Malika.

The dungeon was humid and smelled of dirt. The two sorceresses immediately freed their fellow sorcerers. Fortunately for them, Rumina had neglected the captive spells as well.

"Where's Sinbad?" Maeve immediately asked her friends.

"Rumina took him about an hour ago." Firouz replied. "We don't know where they went but, if you want my opinion, he's probably not enjoying her company."

"Guys, I'm sorry to say this but you will have to stay here. It would do no good if you came with us. I'll ask Dermott to check up on you every once and a while and he'll warn me if you are in any kind of trouble."

Then, turning to the Big Five, she added:

"_We_ are going to find Sinbad."

She had been about to turn around when Doubar called her name.

"Maeve?"

"Yes Doubar?"

He took a few seconds before answering.

"I really hope you kill that witch."

Maeve's heart immediately went out to him. He was probably as worried about his brother than she was.

"I will, Doubar. Don't worry." She replied, a new determination in her voice.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

The Big Five had left the dungeon a while ago and had searched the entire castle up and down, without any luck. Rumina and Sinbad were just nowhere to be seen. Several guards tried to stop them as they made their way to the castle but Dim-Dim, too quick for them, froze them all.

"They'll wake up eventually. But we'll already be gone." He said, laughing.

"Malika." Maeve told the little girl. "Ask Dermott where Rumina and Sinbad are."

"Why aren't you doing it yourself?" Bryn asked her friend, confused, as Malika began to concentrate on making contact with the hawk.

"It takes too much energy. I need to save mine for the final battle."

Bryn nodded.

"I see."

Dim-Dim looked worriedly around. Maeve immediately picked up her master's anxiety.

"What's the matter?"

A candle flickered on the wall.

"We need to get out of here." Dim-Dim simply replied.

Taking Malika's hand, Maeve began walking. The little girl, still in her trance, followed subconsciously. More candles flickered as they walked passed them which made Maeve wonder if Rumina had realized they were here.

Suddenly, in the stillness of the castle, Malika began to speak.

"They're in a hidden room. One more flight of stairs and we're there. The door is guarded by a gargoyle. We'll have to move it in order to get in."

She paused a few seconds. Her eyes grew wider and she stopped in her path. Her breath became ragged. The sorcerers all turned to look at her.

"We have to hurry."

There was a hint of urgency in her voice.

"Sinbad is in danger."

Malika collapsed on the floor. Maeve ran to her.

"Malika. Come on, wake up." She said as she shook the child.

But Malika wouldn't wake up. She looked up at her master. The old man crouched down beside the unconscious child and murmured words Maeve had never heard before. Seconds later, Malika was opening her eyes.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice small and weak.

"You fainted." Maeve replied.

She immediately helped the child up. They couldn't waste any more time. Maeve immediately started running towards the stairs, followed by the rest of the Big Five. They ran down the corridor, up the stairs and around the corner to stop in front of the horrendous gargoyle.

Dim-Dim tried pushing it. The stoned gargoyle didn't move.

"She used a spell to make sure nobody would be able to come in." Serendib said. "But which spell?"

They all looked at each other, questioningly.

On the other side of the door, Sinbad was taking what he thought were his last breaths.


	6. Last Breaths

Laying down on a table, arms and legs glued to it, Sinbad was unable to move. Two of Rumina's guards stood on each side of him, holding out their whip, ready to hit at Rumina's orders. The captain's shirt had been torn apart and several whiplashes already decorated his chest. Every breath he took made him wince in my pain. He could tell Rumina was happy.

"So Sinbad, how is this wife of yours?" Rumina asked, chuckling evilly as she circled the table. "That's right, she's dead. I had completely forgotten. Poor thing. You're probably looking for another wife, aren't you? I'd be willing to take her place."

"In... your... wildest... dreams, Rumina." He said, with difficulty.

Even talking hurt.

Rumina chuckled.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson yet. Guards, whip him!"

The whips stung and Sinbad closed his eyes, trying desperately to block the pain. But it didn't work. He thought of Maeve. She wasn't dead, he could tell. Because when she was dead, a part of him was dead also and right now, that part of him was definetely still alive and beating. He comforted himself with that thought.

"Maeve is not dead, Rumina." Sinbad said, panting. "She's coming soon and, once she gets here, she'll kill you."

Rumina shook her head, disapprovingly.

"You are so naive, Sinbad." Rumina replied. "Maeve is never going to be able to kill me. I'm too powerful for her."

"She has four other friends with her." The captain spat. "Together, they'll reduce you to nothing."

"Four other friends?" Rumina asked, pretending to be confused. "Oh! You mean this tiny girl, that other peasant witch from the City of Mist, the wannabe sorceress and your lovely Master Dim-Dim?"

She tsked.

"My, my, Sinbad. I didn't know you had so much faith in them."

"They're my friends." Sinbad grunted. "Of course I'll have faith in them."

Rumina raised an eyebrow.

"They're your friends yet, they are not here to sabe you. These are nice friends you have there, my love."

Sinbad inhaled and winced in pain.

"That's because you locked the entrance with a spell."

Rumina feigned innocence.

"I did that? I didn't know. My bad. Here, let me open it for them."

With a wave of her hand, the stone wall blocking the entrance vanished and a hole appeared in his place. Sinbad looked up to see the Big Five standing on the other side. He sighed in relief. His crew and friends were here. He could see Maeve standing behind the group, a look of madness in her eyes, confirming his beliefs. Maeve would kill Rumina tonight.

"Well, well, look who's here." Rumina said. "Come on in, my friends. There's enough room for all of us."

The five sorcerers walked in, unsurely. Maeve glanced over in Sinbad's direction and immediately noticed the wounds on her husband's chest. She immediately began to feel nauseated. She turned her attention back to Rumina, before she lost her dinner. Rumina was looking at her, a smug expression on her face.

"You're done hurting all the people I love, Rumina." Maeve said, anger raging inside of her.

Flames flashed in her eyes and a small white ball formed in her hand. She knew that the time had finally come and that their final fight had already begun.

Maeve lifted her hand and, catching Rumina by surprise, hit the sorceress right in the face. Rumina looked up at her angrily.

"Oh so you want to play that game! Fine, suit yourself. It's been so long since I've been in a battle. I miss the feeling I get when I win."

An orange ball, similar to the one in Maeve's hand, appeared in the older sorceress' hand. She lifted it up to the same height as Maeve's. Behind the redhead, the four other sorcerers watched in excitement. The war was on.

Sinbad watched the whole scene from the table. They had only been fighting for a few seconds but Sinbad had to admit that, at this very minute, Rumina was much stronger than his love. He watched as Maeve backed up against Rumina's magic. He even thought he heard her whimper.

"Hey sailor!" Rumina yelled to Sinbad. "Who are you choosing now? Me or that peasant witch?"

Sinbad didn't hesitate, not that he would have anyway.

"I'm choosing my peasant witch!" He screamed back.

Another set of whipping was ordered.

Maeve heard the sound of Sinbad's cry and anger immediately welled up inside of her making her, for a split second, stronger than Rumina. Her sudden burst of power caused Rumina to be unbalanced and to receive Maeve's ray in the chest. Rumina felt herself become weaker and panicked slightly. This had never happened to her.

Out of nervous, she ordered another set of whipping for the captain.

"Now!" Maeve cried.

Taking a few step sideways, Maeve let Malika take her place. Rumina looked down at the child and immediately felt her confidence grow.

"I'm fighting a child?"

Her question was lost in the noise of the battle. Malika was stronger than Rumina had anticipated and she was once again taken aback. She stumbled backwards but, by luck, remained on her feet.

Maeve could see Rumina growing weaker and weaker each second. She watched as Rumina wondered how a four-year-old child could take her on and resist her like this. Maeve smiled. They were winning.

It took a few more minutes this time for Rumina to receive Malika's ray in the chest. Maeve immediately called out for the next sorcerer to step up. Dim-Dim did as he was told.

It didn't take long for Dim-Dim to overcome Rumina and he was followed by Bryn in matter of seconds. Rumina, who had grown even weaker by Dim-Dim's attack, seemed to have recovered pretty quickly and used Bryn's inexperience in magic battles to her advantage. But when Rumina was hit in the chest by the brunette, she found herself once again confused. Serendib stepped in and used the sorceress' confusion against her.

The process was almost done. It was only a matter of minute before the magic was sucked out of Rumina.

Maeve watched as Serendib took the sorceress on. Her powers might have been limited by the fact that the City of Mist still existed but she was certainly powerful. Maeve began to wonder what the young girl's life could have been if the City hadn't existed. She had so much potential, it was a shame such a curse had been casted upon her.

It didn't take long for Serendib to suck out all of the energy and magic out of Rumina. Inside two minutes, Rumina was collapsing on the floor, panting. The Big Five gathered around her and looked down. She was trembling and a few tears were sliding down her cheeks. Maeve looked at her, disgusted. She raised her hand and directed it to Rumina's heart.

"Please don't kill me, Meave." Rumina begged. "I'll do anything you want."

"You can't do much for me anymore, can you? We took all your magic out of you. You are nothing more than a human now, Rumina. But unfortunately, in my eyes, you'll never be anything more than a murderer. You killed a little girl's mother just because she got in your way. You turned my brother into a hawk for the fun of it. You can't possibly ask me to pity a murderer, can you, Rumina?"

"I am not a murderer." She pleaded, reaching out weakly to grab Maeve's shirt.

Maeve pulled away from the hands.

"Maybe not in your eyes but in mine, you are nothing more than one."

"Maeve." A voice said beside her. "It's time to give the final blow. Rumina will soon gain all of her magic back."

Maeve smiled, wickedly.

"I am so so sorry, Rumina." She said, sarcastically.

A ball of electricity formed in Maeve's palm. Directing it right at Rumina's heart, she put all of her energy on the sorceress laying in front of her. But what Maeve thought would only take ten seconds was now being to take more time. She casted a desperate look at her friends.

"What's going, Maeve?" Bryn asked, as confused as the others.

"The little witch is fighting for her life." Maeve replied.

Sensing the worry in her apprentice's voice, Dim-Dim immediately said:

"Concentrate, Maeve. Think about everything she has done to you. Think about your friends locked in the dungeon! Think about Dermott! Think about Sinbad!"

Maeve did as she was told but didn't succeed. She could feel Rumina's powers growing once more.

"I can't do it!" Maeve said.

"Yes you can, Maeve. I know you can." Dim-Dim replied. "Think about your child, Maeve. Think about your child."

Sinbad's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the word child.

What? Maeve is having a baby?

Then suddenly, everything became clear to him: the seasickness, the weight she had put on, the glow. Everything just led to her being pregnant. His eyes shifted from Maeve to Dim-Dim. His master had known all along.

For the first time in his life, Sinbad, who had never wish anybody's death, suddenly wished that Maeve actually killed her enemy. If there was really a child inside of her, his child, then Maeve had to defeat Rumina. It would be the only way for them to be happy and really start their lives together.

Maeve glanced briefly at Sinbad. She had heard him think and a small part of her felt guitly for not having told him about the baby. But now wasn't the time to think about that. She had something to accomplished. She had waited too long for that moment to just let it get away. She had to kill Rumina. If not for her, then for her child. He or she deserved to have both parents. She then thought of Dermott and the promise she had made to him long ago. He too had waited long enough.

The thought of her brother made the anger well up inside of her. Her ray became stronger. Rumina moaned under it. She was in pain.

Seconds turned into minutes. The Big Five towered over the limp body of weakened Rumina. Maeve stopped her attack. She was too tired. She collapsed on the floor, coming to lay beside Rumina.

Silence grew thicker in the room as everybody waited anxiously to see what would happen next. A sound from outside the room was heard from nobody seemed to care enough to notice. The seconds seemed to stretch out like the ocean in front of them. Finally, Rumina took her last breath. 


	7. A Happy Ending

**A/N: Okay first of all... I am soooooo sorry for taking forever to update but I'm also writing stories in another fandom called Bones which is taking a whole lot of my time. I feel guilty for neglecting this story and to make it up, I'll be posting a new story right away. Hope you like this final chapter and once again sorry for the long months of silence.**

* * *

"I wonder what's going on up there." Firouz told the others. "Do you think they're okay?" 

He was worried. They hadn't heard a thing since the guards had woken up and had barged in the dungeons, demanding to know where the group of women and the old man had gone. Nobody had been able to provide an answer and the guards had ran out of the room, growling in frustration.

Firouz turned to Doubar who was chained beside him. The big man smiled at him. He was about to open his mouth to talk when Dermott came flying in and perched himself at the window. He squwaked urgently at the men. Doubar frowned.

"Dermott, what's wrong? Where's Maeve?"

Dermott tilted his head, surprised. Doubar had rarely ever spoken to him. Suddenly, he felt it. This weird feeling spreading from the tip of his wings and exploding in his chest. Screeching loudly, he opened his wings and took off. He hadn't been flying for more than five seconds when he dropped suddenly to the ground.

"Dermott!" Firouz cried.

Then, it happened. Something unexpected to the crew. Under the eyes of the amazed crew, his bird body slowly changed form to take the one of a human. It lasted only ten seconds but, once the transformation had been complete, Dermott laid on the ground, incapable of moving.

"Am I human?"

His voice was raucous from inactivity.

He tried to turn his head towards the crew. It worked.

"Am I human?" He asked again.

"Dermott?" Firouz asked in reply.

But Dermott didn't answer. He tried moving his fingers and found that he could. He tried his legs. They moved as well. Laughing happily, he bolted to his feet only to fall back down to the ground immediately after. He laughed loudly.

"She did it!" He cried, looking up at the crew. "She did it."

He watched in happiness as the chains holding the crew captive disappeared into thin air. The three men groaned as they rubbed their aching wrists. Dermott tried standing up again. He reached out for the wall beside him and, slowly, got to his feet. His legs felt weak but that was to be expected.

He turned to the crew, who were all looking at him in shock. He chuckled.

Dermott was about to say something when the door to the dungeon flung open. All heads turned into that direction.

A very weak Sinbad walked in, supported by Maeve and Dim-Dim on each side.

"Doubar!"

"Little brother!"

"Maeve!"

"Dermott!"

The sorceress ran to her brother and threw herself in his arms. Locked in an embrace, they didn't notice the others staring strangely at them.

"Let me look at you." Dermott told his sister as they pulled away. "It's been so long time since I've been able to do that."

"Dermott, you had ten years to look at me."

"Not as a human." Dermott replied.

Then, smiling tenderly at his older sister, he added:

"You look so pretty."

Maeve thanked him, her eyes filling with water.

Dermott turned to Sinbad and beckoned him over. Sinbad took a few steps forward. Dermott chuckled.

"There's no need to be suspicious of me. I just wanted to thank you for having taken care of my sister during all this time. I'm happy that Maeve had such wonderful people in her life."

"Your sister?" Firouz asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Dermott is my brother." Maeve replied as she wrapped her arms around her brother's waist.

Dermott pulled her to him.

"So Rumina..." Doubar said.

"Dead." Maeve said, proudly. "I needed to kill her to bring Dermott to his original form and once he get out of this place and are back on the ship, I shall tell you the entire story."

"Good idea." Sinbad replied.

* * *

Sinbad walked up on the deck to find Maeve and Dermott in an intense conversation. He hated himself for breaking their reunion but he needed to speak with his wife.

"Meave? Could I talk to you, please?" He asked, shyly as he came to a stop in front of the siblings.

Maeve giggled happily.

"Of course you can, Sinbad." Dermott replied. "I have to go talk to Bryn."

Dermott smiled at his sister before getting up and walking away. Sinbad took Dermott's now vacated seat beside his wife and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Maeve sighed into the kiss.

"That was really nice work you did today, Maeve." He said after they broke the kiss.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her to him. She sighed happily as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Sinbad, I am so happy. Everything is _finally_ back to normal."

Sinbad nodded.

"Yes, they are."

He fell silent for a few seconds, unable to voice his thoughts. The words spoken by Dim-Dim in the midst of the fight still echoes in his head. He had told her to stop for the life inside of her. He hadn't had the opportunity to talk to her after the fight and he now felt like it was the time.

He cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Maeve, Dim-Dim said something today. Something about you having a child. What's this all about?"

Maeve smiled and looked up at him.

"I didn't want to say anything before Rumina was defeated. I didn't want you to hurt even more if I died."

She paused for a split second. Sinbad felt his heart racing madly in his chest.

"Sinbad, you're going to be a father."

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

Maeve rolled her eyes.

"Yes, really. I can't believe you didn't notice before today. I mean, isn't it obvious? I gained weight, my face is rounder and I even walk differently. Even Dermott as a hawk noticed."

Sinbad immediately defended himself.

"Well I don't notice tihs kind of things." He replied.

He smiled down at her.

"I love you." He told her, unable to contain what he felt about her inside.

Maeve closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I love you too."

They leaned in for a kiss which lasted several minutes.

* * *

The sun had set a long time ago when the crew all gathered up on the deck. Standing at the front of the ship, they all looked at the horizon. Stars twinkled over their heads, shining dutifully as always. Wind lightly blew around them. Maeve shivered under her cloak and Sinbad wrapped his arms around her, warming her. She sighed as she leaned back in his embrace.

They stood silently. There was no need to speak. They were all together: Maeve, Sinbad and their child, Firouz, Doubar, Rongar, Dermott and Bryn who still seemed to share a special bond, Dim-Dim, and Rowan and Malika, the two special children Sinbad had taken upon himself to raise now that their parents were dead. A big family on a small ship. The waves gently rocked the ship and crashed against his side. Sinbad took a deep breath, the salty air tickling his nose.

"Where to Captain?" He heard a man cry behind him.

Sinbad smiled, serenely.

"Wherever the wind takes us."


End file.
